The Tales of Zuko and Katara For Zutara Week
by TheSixthStation
Summary: A story for Zutara Week 2012. I'm using all the prompts as chapters.
1. Serendipity

**Summary: **After seeing the The Boy in the Ice Berg, Katara and Zuko both try to come up with reasons why they don't like each other.

**A/N: **This is my first story for Zutara Week. It's not the best, actually it's kind of bad, but I'm thinking (and hoping) that the other prompts will be better. This one was kind of hard for me. Of course, I don't own Avatar. Otherwise, Zutara would not need a week because it would be canon.

* * *

**Serendipity**

On one side of the beach, Zuko sat on the rocks, gazing out at the ocean. His mind had been in a jumbled mess ever since they'd mentioned the cave in Ba Sing Se, and him and Katara having feeling for one another, in the play and he'd been unable to sleep, so he'd come out there to clear his head.

* * *

On the other side of the beach, Katara was pacing anxiously back and forth. She didn't know why out of all the scenes in the play, the one in the crystal catacombs had affected her the most. The thought of her and Zuko being together was ridiculous, so why couldn't she get rid of it?

* * *

He was hotheaded. It was almost humorous how easy it was to make him angry. No, you didn't even have to _make _him angry. He was always angry about something, always yelling. He had absolutely no control over his temper. He could be infuriating and sometimes, she could barely stand it.

* * *

She was whiny. She was overly dramatic, overly emotional. She always made too big a deal out of everything. It took almost nothing to upset her. One minute she was happy and then the next she was yelling at you over something insignificant. It got tiring. After awhile, it got very, very tiring.

* * *

He was stubborn. No matter how wrong he was about something, you couldn't change his mind. Once he had his mind made up, there was no changing it. Sometimes it drove her crazy. They'd get caught up in such huge arguments over something small because neither of them ever admitted that they were wrong. The difference was, in her opinion, she was never wrong. But he always had to be so persistent. He always had to be so assertive. He never gave up on anything. Come to think of it, it was actually something she really admired about him…

But wasn't something she was supposed to be thinking about.

* * *

She was condescending and self-righteous. She treated everyone like a child. She acted as if they were their mother instead of their friend. She was so bossy. Not a day went by when she didn't tell someone what to do. And she always had to be right about everything. She had to win every argument no matter how wrong she was. It was too bad that she was so good at arguing. Though all her speeches got annoying sometimes, she was…inspirational…

But he couldn't think about that.

* * *

He was determined. She'd always known that. He'd followed them all over the world trying to capture Aang. But now that she really knew him (and he'd stopped attacking them), she saw his determination as a good thing instead of a bad one. He'd been so determined to join the group and teach Aang that he risked his life trying to fight the assassin he'd sent for them. He'd been so determined to help her that he'd taken her to the monster that'd killed her mother. He'd done everything he could to help her and to prove himself to her. And that meant much more to her than he'd ever know. And that was because, she'd never let him know.

* * *

She was passionate. He could see that even when they were enemies. He could see it in her face. He could see it when they fought, when she was waterbending. He could see it when she talked about something she cared about. Just like his drive, was helping to defeat his father, hers was fighting for the people she loved. And that was something he thought was extremely honorable.

* * *

He was strong. He had to be after losing his mother and growing up with Azula for a sister and Ozai for a father. He had to be since he'd been banished until he completed a quest that was thought to be almost impossible until recently. And now, he'd been strong enough to do the right thing. He'd given up everything to join them and he'd helped them more than she could say. She couldn't believe that she was admitting this, and if you'd asked her a week ago, she'd even deny it to herself, but the group needed him. Seeing how helpful he'd been to Aang, seeing him laughing and joke with the rest of the group, he'd really redeemed himself. He'd changed.

* * *

She was brave. She'd been taking care of her brother since she was young, and he knew how hard it was to lose your mother at such a young age. Now, in her own way, she took care of all of them too. She would never turn her back on anyone who needed her, and she loved to be needed. She held them together.

* * *

But, she had Aang. Aang needed her. She knew that. She was sure that she loved him, but sometimes she wasn't sure that it was the same way he loved her. She wanted it to be. Even in the play they'd called her "the Avatar's girl." It felt like that was what was expected. That's what she was supposed to be. She could never have feelings for Zuko. And, even if she did, she was from the Water Tribe and he was a Fire Nation prince. It couldn't work.

So whatever it was that she was feeling for him, she had to forget.

* * *

But, he had Mai. He didn't have very many good memories of his childhood, but she was one of them. He wanted to hold on to that. He'd only left her to protect her. It didn't mean that he didn't care about her. She'd been there for him. And he was sure that being a Fire Nation prince he was supposed to marry someone of Fire Nation nobility, like Mai. Not that he thought that Katara was beneath him. In all honesty, he probably didn't deserve someone like her anyway.

So whatever it was that he was feeling for her, he had to get over it.

* * *

By now the two had both headed back for the beach house, where everyone would be sound asleep by now. They crept through the dark hallways, hoping not to wake anyone up. It was easier for Zuko since he could light a dim flame in his hand for light. For Katara, it was pitch black. But both of them were too lost in their thoughts to notice each other until they crashed into each other, stumbling backwards and searching for the wall to hold onto and regain balance. Once Zuko had stabled himself, he lit his fire again and helped Katara to her feet.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said.

Their eyes met for a brief second. But considering what they'd been thinking about, they both quickly blushed and looked away.

She was beautiful.

He was beautiful.

"So," he began, awkwardly looking away and rubbing the back of his neck. "Some play, huh?"

"Yeah…" she said quietly. The corner of her lips twisted into a smile, but her eyes fixated on a spot on the ground. "Well I should get some rest."

"Yeah me too," he agreed. "Goodnight, Katara."

"Goodnight, Zuko." They were both already hurrying away when she said it, both reminding themselves to forget and to get over it, both trying to fight the feelings that had risen.

But deep down, they knew it was too late. Neither one of them was going to be forgetting or getting over anything any time soon.


	2. Momentous

**Summary: **Zuko and Katara go to battle with Azula for the last time.

**A/N: **Sorry if it seems rushed at the end. I really wanted to finish before the day was out. Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

**Momentous**

It was nighttime, but the comet painted the sky with shades of red and orange. If you looked closely, you could still see the stars. If the comet hadn't meant that if they failed, the Fire Nation would destroy the Earth Kingdom and take over the world, it would have been beautiful. If only that was the case.

Zuko and Katara sat in silence as he steered Appa towards the Fire Nation. At times, they became uncomfortably aware of each other and the silence became awkward, but mostly they were just preparing themselves for what was to come. Azula was a prodigy. She was one of the greatest benders they'd ever seen, but there was more to it than that. She was crafty and manipulative. She couldn't be outsmarted. Everyone was scared of her, though no one would admit it. The worst part was, they knew she'd never stop fighting. She'd never give up. When they went to fight her, it would be a fight to the death.

Katara glanced over at Zuko. His expression was usually serious and a bit angry looking, but now the anger was mixed with anxiety too. "Zuko, don't worry. We can take Azula."

"I'm not worried about her. I'm worried about Aang," he admitted. "What if he doesn't have the guts to take out my father? What if he loses?"

"Aang won't lose," she said confidently, "He's gonna come back." And then for her own sake, she added, "He has to."

But, honestly, she wasn't sure what was going to happen. She knew that there was a lot of pressure on Aang. She knew that what he had to do was completely against his beliefs, and none of them had helped him try to find an alternate solution. Now that they didn't know where he was, she felt really guilty about that. Thinking about it now, asking a twelve-year-old to kill someone, even if it was someone as evil Ozai, was a lot to put on his shoulders. So, would he come back? Could he face this?

"Katara," Zuko said softly, interrupting her thoughts. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this."

"What do you mean?" she asked

"This fight is between me and Azula," he told her. "I shouldn't have asked you to come."

He knew that he couldn't face her alone. His uncle had been right about that and he'd admitted himself. But, he couldn't live with himself if anything happened to her because of him. Especially with these newfound feelings he'd discovered. And right now, it seemed like Katara getting hurt was almost inevitable.

"I came because I wanted to," she reassured him. She looked away and blushed and added, "And besides, you need me."

He gave a small smile. "And you never turn your back on people who need you?"

She smiled back and touched his shoulder, "That's right."

When they finally arrived at the Fire Nation, they saw the Fire Sages about to crown Azula. The one holding the crown noticed Appa and stopped, leaving the crown hovering above her head. "What are you waiting for?" she snapped. "Do it!"

"Sorry, but you're not going to become Fire Lord today," he said firmly. "I am."

Azula laughed almost dismissively. "You're hilarious."

Katara jumped of Appa, standing at Zuko's side. "And you're going down."

The Fire Sage was about to crown Azula, but she stopped him. "Wait. You want to be Fire Lord? Fine. Let's settle this, just you and me, brother, the showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai."

Katara glared at her. She was as manipulative as always. "You're on," said Zuko, causing Katara's eyes to widen.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "She's playing you. She knows she can't take us both, so she's trying to separate us."

"I know, but I can take her this time," he said.

"But even you admitted to your uncle that you would need help facing Azula,'" she argued.

"There's something off about her. I can't explain it, but she's slipping," he looked and her added. "And this way, no one else has to get hurt." _You don't have to get hurt._

Katara nodded reluctantly, but she was still ready to jump into the fight at any moment. She wouldn't let him do this alone.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother."

"No, you're not."

And then, the battle began.

It began with a huge explosion, Zuko's orange flames against Azula's blue. The fire that they blasted at one another set houses and buildings, destroying everything in its path. It was almost mesmerizing to watch. Where Azula had skill, Zuko had determination. The fighting seemed to last for hours, though the battle wasn't really that long at all. It pained Katara to stand back and watch, knowing that any second he could be gone. Right now, all she could think about was him, though in the back of her mind, she knew Aang was in a worse battle.

"No lightning today?" asked Zuko. "What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?"

Azula had gone crazy with rage. "Oh, I'll show you lighting."

Bolts of lightning erupted from her hands and she prepared herself to strike. When she was ready, she glowered at Zuko, but her eyes shifted to Katara and with a menacing smile, she sent it hurdling towards her.

Katara was frozen. She knew in a matter of seconds that she would be dead. She'd never figured out her feelings. She'd never been able to tell Aang or Zuko how much they meant to her. She'd never them or Sokka or Toph or any of her friends again. She knew going into this that there was a good chance she wouldn't make it out, but now that it was happening, she was more terrified than she'd ever been in her life.

At least that's what she thought until she saw Zuko, jumping in front of her, letting the lightning strike him instead. "Zuko!" she cried, rushing towards him. He lied on the ground, writhing in pain.

She'd almost reached him when she had to jump out of the way of a burst of blue flames. She tried to reach him again, but Azula laughed sinisterly and sent more fire in her direction. She was sending strike after strike, not stopping once. All Katara could do was run. She didn't have time to think of fighting back. Azula wouldn't allow it. She tried to hide behind of one the columns, but it was destroyed with another blast of Azula's fire. Katara tried to send an attack to where Azula had been standing, but she had used her fire to fly away and was now right behind her. She knew she couldn't run forever, but right now there were no other options.

She looked down and saw that there was water under one of the vents. When she looked up, she saw a chain hanging on one of the columns. An idea formed. She knew it was a risky one, but she also knew that Zuko didn't have much time left. She grabbed the chain just as Azula reached her. "There you are, filthy peasant," she sneered. Katara sent another attack at her, causing her to run over the vents. She raised the water so that they were both completely frozen in ice. Azula's hand was pointed right at Katara's face. Katara melted the ice around her, chaining Azula to the vents and then melted the water around them completely. She made sure that the chain was tight enough so that there was no way Azula could break free, and then ran to Zuko, who lay unconscious on the ground.

She gently turned him over, and he groaned in pain. She wouldn't let him die, not for her. There was a big star shaped scar in the center of his chest. She gathered some water from her pouch and moved her hands over it. The water glowed and she waited anxiously to see if it would be enough. Tears welled up in her eyes when he finally opened his and a huge grin crossed her face.

"Thank you Katara," he said weakly.

"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you." Before she knew what she was doing, she pressed her lips hard against his. She pulled away as suddenly as she had kissed him. He stared at her with large eyes and bright red cheeks. "I…I'm sorry…I didn't mean…I've just been having these feelings….and um…I've been really confused…and-"

He silenced her with another kiss. She was shocked at first, but she felt herself wrapping her arms around him, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. He reached up and cupped her face in his hands as the kiss turned from passionate to sweet. "It's okay," he breathed when they finally broke away, her head resting against his. "I didn't mind."


	3. Transcend

**Summary: **Team Avatar celebrates the end of the war and the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai, but Zuko and Katara still have to sort out their feelings for one another.

**A/N:** I feel like I should explain why I think this fits for the transcend theme. The Gaang has overcome the war but Zuko and Katara are also trying to overcome their feelings for each other. This one isn't all that great but it's hard for me to justify Kataang and Maiko. (No offense Kataang and Maiko shippers).

* * *

**Transcend**

It was over. They'd all come out alive. All of their fighting and struggling had finally paid off. The Fire Lord had been defeated, and now they could focus on restoring peace and balance to the world. Now, they were safe. Katara and Zuko almost felt guilty. They probably should've been happier than they ever were in their lives. And, they tried to be. They wanted to be and they acted like they were. But they both still had feelings to sort out, feelings that they couldn't avoid any longer. Someone needed an answer.

Just like he'd planned, Iroh had reopened his tea shop in Ba Sing Se, and the group all decided to visit it to celebrate. Of course, there'd be a larger celebration later, but right now it was just nice to have the gang together for one last time. They didn't know how often they'd get to see each other after this. That was hard to believe after being around each other for all this time.

Zuko and Katara had barely talked since they'd returned to the group. They certainly hadn't talked about what had happened. Katara had gotten so used to telling herself that she'd figure everything out when the war was over, but the war was over and she hadn't figured anything out at all and neither had he. It made sense for him to be with Mai. It made sense for her to be with Aang. But, they'd felt something for each other that they hadn't felt before, and they didn't know what it was, but it fascinated and frightened them both.

They shared a smile as Zuko passed out tea during the celebration. Katara had been watching Suki and Mai in a game of pai sho. She actually found that Mai wasn't too bad when she wasn't throwing knives at her, and she could tell that she did care for Zuko. She just felt a little uncomfortable around her, a little angry. She knew it wasn't her place to be angry.

"Zuko stop moving!" Sokka shouted. "I'm trying to capture the moment. I wanted to do a painting so that we always remember the good times together."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Sokka," said Katara walking over to see his painting. She raised an eyebrow. "Wait, why did you give me Momo's ears?"

"Those are your hair loopies!" Sokka said defensively.

"At least you don't look like a boarcupine," said Zuko. "My hair is not that spiky."

"I look like a man," Mai added.

"Why did you paint me firebending?" asked Suki.

"I thought it looked more exciting that way," he told her. Momo leapt on the table. "Oh, you think you can do a better job, Momo?" Out of the corner of her eye, Katara saw Aang leave the tea shop. General Iroh and Toph had said something else, but she wasn't listening. She looked up, wondering whether or not to follow him.

Zuko followed her gaze, to where Aang was walking out the door. He watched as she followed him and then looked away. He reminded himself that it might've not meant anything, but he couldn't help but think that it did.

Katara joined Aang outside the tea shop. It had a view overlooking the city, and it was sunset. It was beautiful. She looked at him and blushed. They'd come along way together and he'd grown so much since they'd met. He needed her and she wasn't sure what she'd do without him after all this time. She pulled him into a hug as she realized that being with Aang would be easy. She'd always be safe, she'd be with someone who loved her and could take care of her, someone who'd always been able to make her smile. What more could she ask for?

She and Zuko had obviously just gotten caught up in the moment. They'd gotten carried away with the idea of being together like it would be simple, but in reality it wouldn't be. He'd saved her life, she'd save his, and they were both really grateful. That was all.

She kissed Aang then because it seemed like the thing to do. It was a nice kiss, not like the one she'd shared with Zuko, but nice. So nice, that she didn't see Zuko standing in the doorway or hear him walking away.

Deep down, he'd known she'd choose him. How could she not after everything they'd been through? He didn't have the right to be upset. He had Mai. He was happy with her. Being with Katara would be too complicated. It was best to forget that anything ever happened.

He took Mai in his arms and kissed her hard on the lips. "What was that for?" she asked.

"A guy can't be affectionate towards his girlfriend?" he asked making her smile.

"Get a room, hot lips," Toph teased.

"Good one, Toph!" Sokka laughed.

He and Mai both blushed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Katara and Aang came back inside, hand in hand. Katara looked at Zuko and flashed him a sad smile. He nodded once and shot her a sad smile of his own, and they both understood what each other meant.

_It's the right thing to do. _

_I know._

_Goodbye._

_Goodbye._

And they both went back to enjoying the celebration, glad that they could put this all behind them. At least, they hoped that they could.


	4. Whimsical

**Summary: A huge party is throne at the Fire Nation palace to celebrate the end of the Hundred Year War.**

A/N: Finished with four minutes to spare! Parties are whimsical, right?  


* * *

**Whimsical**

The Fire Nation palace was full with guests from all over the world. Members of every nation had come to celebrate the end of the war. Mai had been talking to Zuko, but he hadn't really been listening so eventually she just left to find Ty Lee. It was the first time he'd see anyone from the old group in two months. It was the first time he'd see Katara. He tried not to think about her, but when he did all he could think about was the moment they'd shared after they defeated Azula. All he could think about was the things that he felt when he was with her, things he thought he'd learn to feel with Mai. He'd missed her a lot more than he would ever admit.

Sokka arrived first with Suki. He'd moved to Kyoshi Island with her after the end of the war. Next came Toph, who was in the process of opening a metalbending academy. He was happy to see his old friends, but the longer he waited for her to come, the more anxious he got, and he knew that that was very, very bad.

Appa landed outside the Fire Nation palace. Aang slid off the side before helping Katara off. "Aang, I'm fine," she reminded him.

"I know. Just trying to be a gentleman," he smiled. "You look really nice tonight, by the way."

"Thanks," she forced a smile, but she was so worried about seeing Zuko that she was sure it looked fake.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm great," she said as cheerfully as possible. "Come on, let's go."

"Okay…" said Aang, clearly unconvinced. She took him by the hand and the two hurried inside.

"Looks like Mr. and Mrs. Twinkletoes finally decided to show up," said Toph. As usually she knew who had arrived before everyone else did.

When Aang and Katara spotted the group, they hurried over to join them, greeting each of them with a hug. Zuko knew it must have been really obvious how taken he was by Katara because of the suspicious look Toph shot him. Katara was always pretty, but tonight, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She was about to hug him, but she realized it would probably be uncomfortable for the both of them so she stopped herself. "It's good to see you, Zuko."

"You too," he said.

Just then the music started to play and couples began to gather on the floor to dance. Aang grinned. "Come on, Katara!" And before she could object, he was dragging her to the dance floor.

Zuko thought of going to find Mai, but Mai didn't dance and she'd really missed Ty Lee so he didn't want to bother her. Besides, his eyes were glued to Katara twirled and swayed to the music, putting him in a daze. For a brief moment they made eye contact for a second, but he looked away faster than she could.

Toph cleared her throat. "Um…Zuko? Is something going on with you and Sweetness?"

"No!" he said almost too defensively. "Why would you say that?"

"Your heartbeat has been a lot faster since she came," she said.

"That's ridiculous! She's with Aang! I'm with Mai!"

"Okay…whatever you say…"

Zuko was thankful that she couldn't see the redness in his cheeks.

As Katara and Aang were dancing, a young looking girl tapped him on the shoulder. "Uh…hi…" she said. I'm a big fan of yours and I was wondering if you'd like to dance?"

Aang looked at Katara, "Do you mind?"

"Of course not," she said. "Have fun."

She was actually relieved to have a moment to herself. Seeing Zuko again had brought all the feelings that she'd worked so hard to get rid of hurling back at her, and she knew she had to leave the party as soon as possible. But before she could, she noticed Zuko standing beside her. "Do you wanna dance?" he asked.

"I don't know…" she said hesitantly.

He took her hand. "Come on, it's just a dance, Katara."

"Okay," she agreed, though they both knew it was a bad idea.

The next song to come on was a slow song. She felt Zuko's arm wrapped around her waste making her shiver. She placed a hand on his shoulder and took his hand in her other one. "You look beautiful," he blurted out.

"Thank you," she said, blushing.

They were silent for the rest of the dance, never breaking eye contact. Both wondering if they'd made a mistake when they made the choice they did, but they didn't want to think about that. They didn't want to worry. They just wanted to be happy and stop trying to hide their feelings for one moment, and they did.

But the song ended too quickly and Aang found them right away. "I guess I owe you a dance know," he said.

Katara shook her head. The minute Aang came back was the minute that she knew that she couldn't be here anymore. She was so confused at that moment that it was making her dizzy. Dancing with Zuko, even though it felt right, was a bad idea. "Actually, I need some air." And she hurried away before anyone could argue.


	5. Heartstrings

**Summary: Katara and Zuko talk about the feelings that they've been having for each other.**

A/N: Kind of cheesy but I think it's one of the better ones.  


* * *

**Heartstrings**

Katara stood alone on the balcony of the palace. It was a beautiful night. She could feel the strength that the full moon gave her and the cloudless sky was lit by thousands of stars. Her blue gown and hair swayed in the slight breeze and, as usual, the night made her feel calmer and more content. She was far enough away from the party that the sounds were muted, but she could still hear them, the constant reminder that she couldn't hide out there forever. There were no more excuses. She'd have to face both of them soon, and they both deserved an answer.

She was so stupid. How could she let her feelings get so out of control like this? Aang was sweet, and he made her happy, and he loved her. He took good care of her and they'd been through so much together. How could they not be together after that? Anyone could see that she should clearly be with him. That's what would be smart. That's would be safe.

Her feelings for Zuko were completely random. They'd come from out of the blue and hit her hard like a comet hits the Earth. She tried desperately to remember that night on Ember Island when she'd thought of all of the reasons they shouldn't be together, but all she remembered were the reasons they should. And thinking about Ember Island made her think about the play. Thinking about the play made her think about the cave in Ba Sing Se, and she tried to never think about what happened in Ba Sing Se.

She remembered how he'd told her about his mother and how he hadn't been the person she thought he was. She remembered feeling sorry for him, wanting to help him. She remembered being happy that she wasn't alone in the cave, happy that he was there with her. And she remembered how much it had hurt when he'd betrayed her, how stupid she'd felt for feeling something for him. She vowed never to let herself feel that way again.

But now he'd really changed. He was their friend, her friend. And here she was, thinking about how she'd shivered when she felt his arm around her waist, or how she could feel her heart pounding in her chest when he looked into her eyes, or how she'd felt light headed in the best possible way when he'd kissed her. How she'd wanted more…

"Katara?" she nearly jumped at the sound of Zuko's voice. He was leaning against the wall, the roof casting shadows over his face. "I thought I'd find you out here. Are you okay?" He moved out of the shadows so that the moonlight lit his face. The more Katara looked at him, the more she realized how attracted to him she really was.

She quickly turned around. "I'm fine. I just needed to clear my head."

"Because of me?" he asked slowly.

She paused for a second. She was about to look back at him, but she knew it wouldn't be a good idea. "Yes."

She heard his footsteps as he moved closer to her, still keeping his distance, but making her tense. "I never told anyone about what happened."

"Me neither," she said quietly.

"Why did it happen?" he asked hesitantly.

"I…I don't know," she stammered. "We both could've died. We both saved each other. And I guess we were just happy and we got caught up in the moment and-"

She was interrupted when she felt his lips on hers. He'd caught her off guard, and for a second she was frozen, but a familiar warmth was growing in the pit of her stomach and she kissed him back with more passion than she even knew she had. Her hands tangled in his hair as she felt his slide down from her face to the small of her back, pulling her as close to him as he possibly could. She felt her back hit the wall but the kiss didn't stop, it only grew deeper.

This was wrong. It didn't matter how it felt. It was wrong.

"Zuko," she whispered gently pushing him away. It took all the restraint she had to stop him. "What are we doing? I'm with Aang. You're with Mai."

"Katara, look at me," he said tilting her chin up with his fingers. His slid along her face to caress her cheek, making her shudder. "I tried everything I could, but I can't stop thinking about you. I think I…I think I'm in-"

"Stop," she told him, looking away. She wanted so badly to tell him she felt the same way, but she couldn't. "We can't do this. It wouldn't be right."

"It's wrong to be with the person you love?"

She looked away, fighting back tears. "I have to go."

"Is that what you want?"

She looked up at him, tears already welling up in her eyes, and they both knew that the answer was no. "Goodbye, Zuko."

She ran back towards the party, leaving him alone on the balcony. He ran his fingers through his hair and then in rage, he slammed his fist into the wall with a burst of flames. He turned to look up at the moon, immediately thinking of the waterbender, and he knew that he couldn't let this go. In his life he'd lost a lot of things, but he wasn't going to lose her.


	6. Faded

**Summary: **Zuko and Katara look at their relationships with Mai and Aang and realize that they aren't happy.

**A/N: A/N: Not much to say about this. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Faded**

Mai didn't care about anything. Well, Zuko knew that she cared about some things to an extent, but it was hard to keep that in mind because she didn't show it very often. This was one of the many things that became very apparent to him during the months he spent away from Katara.

It wasn't fair of him to compare Mai to Katara because very few people were as caring as she was. It really wasn't fair of him to be with Mai at all, but every letter he sent to Katara was ignored. Sokka and Suki had come to visit awhile ago and they said she was fine. They said that she and Aang were happy as ever. At the party, it had seemed like she had wanted to be with him. Was he wrong? After three months of not speaking, that's what he began to believe.

He spent a lot of time out on the balcony where he and Katara had kissed. Mai asked him why he always went to that specific balcony since it wasn't the biggest or the nicest, but he'd avoided the question earning him a suspicious glare. She'd forgotten about it shortly after. This is where he'd come to write his letters, to try to figure out what he could do to change her mind, and on his worst days, this is where he'd come to try to move on. It wasn't exactly the best spot to pick, but subconsciously he'd picked it because he knew he couldn't move on.

But today, when he stood on the balcony, all he could think about was Mai. He'd been spending a lot of time thinking about her lately and feeling guilty. He'd convinced himself that he was still with her because he'd promised never to break up with her, but he knew deep down that that wasn't why. He wanted Katara to think he was as happy as she was, even though he wasn't.

His relationship with Mai had grown dull. There was no spark between them, no chemistry. He was beginning to wonder if he'd ever fallen in love with her, or if he'd always been in love with the idea of his childhood crush still being with him. He realized that his memories of Mai from when they were children were bright. He remembered standing up to Azula for her, blushing when she was around, getting a weird feeling inside of him that he couldn't identify at such a young age. But his colorful memories had all turned to gray. And Mai, well, she'd been gray all along.

But Katara excited him. In a way, she brought him back his old reckless ways, but she was always a reminder of why he'd wanted to change. Just the thought of being with her made him happier than he'd ever thought could he could be. Whether this was right or wrong, he didn't just love her, he needed her. It had taken him three months to realize it, three months of sulking and moping and wasting away, but he knew now that he had to be with her. He had to go to her.

So when he heard Mai's usual monotone voice joining him on the balcony, he looked her in the eyes and said, "We need to talk."

Katara watched as Aang and played in the snow with some of the local children in the village. They'd gone back to the South Pole to visit for the week before they had to return to the Earth Kingdom so that Aang could visit one of the Fire Nation colonies and send back all of the Fire Nation citizens. Aang helped a young girl build a snow man while two little boys ran around throwing snow balls at them. One of them hit Aang square in the face, but he just shook it off and laughed.

Katara sighed. She'd never call Aang immature, but he was still so childlike. He'd just turned thirteen so he was still a child. And she did find his childlike nature cute, but ever since the party she'd longed for something different.

Zuko's letters had stopped coming about a month ago. It was probably her fault. She should've at least tried to sort things out between them, but she'd been a coward. He'd probably moved on and she wanted to too. She'd wanted to move on since she'd discovered her feelings, and she'd realize too late that she couldn't. The conversation that she planned to have with Aang that night was long overdue. The regret from leaving Zuko at the party had been killing her, and she should've gone back to him right away. She should've told him she loved him too.

But she also loved Aang. It was in the same way that she loved Zuko, but she still couldn't lose him. Not after they'd become so close, after everything that happened. She missed the days when the whole group was together, when they were all just friends and she didn't have to worry about all of this. She missed her and Aang's friendship. He was her best friend, and after all of the cold, winter months that had passed, she realized that's why she had to be honest with him. She owed it to him.

She always pictured being with Aang differently. When she thought of Aang she thought of someone who was always there for her, someone who was sweet and always made her smile. She thought of someone who would always love her and take care of her, and she wished that that was enough. But really, when she described Aang, she was just describing a really good friend. Whatever feelings she might have had for him once were all gone.

She craved the passion that she felt with Zuko. She missed how he drove her crazy, how he challenged her. She missed how he was so full of, well, fire. But at the same time, she missed seeing him happy for once. She missed his smile. She missed his laugh. She always thought it was a shame he didn't laugh more often because he had a great laugh. She missed everything about him so much that it hurt. Whatever she'd thought before, she was wrong. Being with him was right. That was what she wanted. That was all she wanted.

So when the kids that Aang had been playing with finally went inside and Aang came to join her inside the igloo, she pulled him aside and said, "I've been meaning to talk to you about something…."


	7. Seasons

**Summary: **Zuko and Katara look back on their year, realizing that now is the right time to be together.

**A/N: **So I had an amazing first Zutara Week and I'm so sad that it's over. :'( I hope my story turned out okay because I had a great time writing it. Sorry this last chapter is so short. It's really more of an epilogue. Also, to the person who asked why the writing was bold, the writing is bold because my computer hates me and won't let me fix it lol. I'm sorry! Anyway, without further ado, I give you the final chapter of my Zutara Week story, "Seasons."

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Summer was a time of passion. It was a time of lust. It was the time for rash decisions, adventure, and danger. It was a time to get caught up in the heat of a moment because you didn't know which moment would be your last. Summer was still a time of battles and struggles, just like the past year had been. Everything that they had fought for had come down to one day at the end of summer. It was a time of momentousness. And at last, summer was a time for victory.

Autumn was a time of confusion. It was a time of hard choices and feelings that were no longer unavoidable, even though they had been for so long. It was a time of warms and colds, blurriness and haziness. Nothing was clear in autumn. It was a time to try to separate what you want and what was right, when you're not sure what the difference between the two is anymore. And in that chaotic time, autumn was the time to choose what was safe and smart.

Winter was a time of longing. It was a time of dullness and grayness. It was a sad time, but a time to sort out all of the things that so very desperately needed to be sorted out. It was a time of heartbreak, but a time of realization. It was a time to look at all of the faded colors around you and to finally find the strength and courage to leave it all behind. Winter was a time for endings.

But spring, spring was a time for beginnings. It was a time for change and rebirth. It was a time for the peace that they all had sought after and fought for after all this time. Spring was a time for love.

Katara's bags had been packed, her goodbyes had been said, and she and Aang had mounted Appa. Much to her surprise, Aang had understood about her and Zuko. He'd still been upset, but he understood. He'd said that he'd like to go back to being friends, or at least he'd try to. Her conversation with him had gone better than she'd ever hoped it would. He'd even said that he'd take her back to the Fire Nation immediately.

They were about to take off when Katara heard Gran Gran's voice calling for her. "Wait!" She turned around to see the old woman hurrying towards them, Pakku was behind her, warning her to slow down, but she wasn't listening.

"Gran Gran? What's wrong?" asked Katara, noticing the worried look on her grandmother's face.

Gran Gran pointed in the opposite direction, and Katara looked up to see a Fire Nation ship heading towards her small village. Her mouth almost fell open in shock. _He came for me, _was all she good think. She slid off Appa and darted towards the ship just as it docked.

She arrived just as Zuko was exiting the ship. They both stopped moving for a second. It felt like it had been an eternity since they last saw each other. She'd grown an inch and his hair and gotten a little longer, but he was still the same Zuko and she was the same Katara. They ran at each other, crashing into each other and wrapping their arms around one another. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, enjoying the warmth of his embrace. "I was just about to go to see you."

"Well, here I am," she shivered at the feeling of his breath against her skin.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too," he tilted her chin up and kissed her gently because for once, they could just enjoy each other. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she whispered back.

"Come back to the Fire Nation with me?"

She nodded with a tear-filled laugh, "I thought you'd never ask."

Spring was a time for new beginnings, rebirth, and love. Spring was finally the time for Zuko and Katara.


End file.
